How to add a shortcut to the Xiaomi desktop: all the ways for MIUI 14 and 15

Why Xiaomi can’t create a shortcut – and how to fix it

You downloaded a new app, but the icon doesn't appear on the home screen? Or you want to quickly open your favorite site without running a browser? On Xiaomi smartphones with a MIUI shell, adding shortcuts works differently than on naked Android — there are some nuances. For example, in the latest versions of MIUI 14/15, the classic way to drag and drop icons from the app menu disappeared. And some system utilities (like Settings or Camera) do not have the option "Add to the desktop" in the context menu.

In this article, we will discuss 5 proven ways to create shortcuts – from standard to hidden MIUI functions.

• 📱 Shortcuts for websites (to open them as apps)
• 📁 Direct links to files (PDF, APK, document)
• ⚙️ Hidden system tools (e.g., sensor test or engineering menu)
• 🔄 Shortcuts for quick action (call to contact, launch navigator)

All methods have been tested on the current firmware Xiaomi 13/14, Redmi Note 12/13, POCO F5/X5 and Black Shark 6. If your model is older (for example, Redmi 9 or Mi 11), check the MIUI version in Settings → About Phone – some features may not be available.

Method 1: Standard Addition via Application Menu (MIUI 14/15)

The most obvious method is to use the built-in MIUI feature, but after upgrading to MIUI 14, Xiaomi hid the option, and now it works unintuitively.

1. Open the app menu (swipe up from the bottom of the screen).
2. Find the desired application and pinch its icon for 1-2 seconds.
3. In the context menu that appears, select Add to desktop (on some models, Create a shortcut).
4. Drag the icon to a free space on the screen.

⚠️ Note: If there is no item Add to the desktop, then the application is system (for example, Settings or Phone.

Make sure there is free space on the screen.|Close all open applications|Check if the "Light Mode" mode is enabled in the settings|Update. MIUI last-minute-->

Method 2: Shortcuts for websites (web applications)

Want to open VK, YouTube or corporate portal in one tap, like a natives app? MIUI has a hidden feature for creating web shortcuts, but it is hidden in the browser settings.

1. Open the Mi Browser browser (or Chrome if installed).
2. Go to the right site (e.g. vk.com).
3. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner → Add to the main screen.
4. Confirm the shortcut. The icon will appear on the desktop.

🔹 Important: These shortcuts open a site in a mini browser without an address bar, which speeds up loading. However, they do not support notifications (unlike full-fledged ones). PWA-applications).

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If the site does not open in a web shortcut, clear the browser cache in Settings → Apps → Mi Browser → Storage → Clear the cache.

For advanced users: If you need notifications from a site (such as Telegram Web), use Chrome and enable the option Add to the home screen as PWA (Progressive Web App).

1. Open the site in Chrome.
2. Press three dots. → Install the application.
3. Confirm the installation – the shortcut will appear in the application menu and on the desktop.

Method 3: Creating shortcuts for system applications (Settings, Camera, Phone)

MIUI blocks shortcuts for key system utilities (Settings, Camera, Phone, Contacts) from the standard menu, but there is a workaround through the widgets:

1. Click the empty space on the desktop → select Widgets.
2. Scroll through the list to the Tools section.
3. Find the app shortcut widget (or Quick Actions on newer versions of MIUI).
4. Drag it to the screen and select the desired app from the list.

🔹 Alternatives for MIUI 15: If there are no app shortcuts widget, use the voice assistant:

1. Activate Google Assistant (click the Home button).
2. Say, "Open your phone settings."
3. In the window that appears, click Add to the main screen.

Method 4: Manually create shortcuts through ADB (for power users)

If none of the above methods worked (for example, on older models like the Redmi 5 or Mi). A2), You can create a label through ADB-This requires a computer connection, but it works on 100 percent of the devices.

📌 What's the matter:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB Tools
• 📱 Settings enabled → The phone. → Version. MIUI (7 times to activate the developer mode)
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original)

🔧 Step-by-step instruction:

1. Connect the phone to the PC and allow debugging over USB.
2. Open the command line (Windows) or the terminal (Mac/Linux) in the adb folder.
3. Enter the command to check the connection: Adb devices should appear the name of your device.
4. Create a shortcut for the desired application (e.g. Settings): adb shell am start -a android.intent.action.CREATE_SHORTCUT -n com.android.settings/.Settings

⚠️ Note: Not all system applications support shortcut creation through ADB. For example, the camera team will be different:

adb shell am start -a android.intent.action.CREATE_SHORTCUT -n com.android.camera/.Camera

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ADB-The method is the only way to add shortcuts to Xiaomi with custom firmware (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience) where standard features are used. MIUI absent.

Method 5: Shortcuts for quick action (call, message, navigator)

MIUI allows you to create not only shortcuts for applications, but also shortcuts for specific actions, such as calling your mom quickly or launching your navigator to work.

1. Click the empty space on the desktop → Widgets.
2. Find the Contacts widget or Quick Actions.
3. Select an action (e.g., call or send a message).
4. Give me a contact and confirm.

📌 Examples of useful labels:

• 📞 Quick Call – One tap to call a frequently used contact.
• 📍 Navigator to home / work – automatically opens Google Maps or Yandex.Maps with a specified route.
• 💬 Message in WhatsApp/Telegram — Opens a chat with the selected contact.
• 🔋 Power saving mode – turns on/off battery settings.

🔹 Secret Life Hack: If you need to create a shortcut for a hidden menu (such as a sensor test or engineering settings), use Activity Launcher.It shows all the hidden Activity in the system that you can add to your desktop.

Problem Solving: A label is not created or disappears

Sometimes the added shortcuts disappear after a reboot or don't want to be created. Here are 5 reasons and solutions:

⚠️ Note: If you are using a third-party launcher (such as a Nova Launcher or Apex Launcher), the standard methods are MIUI They won't work:

1. Open your launcher settings.
2. Find the shortcuts or App Drawer section.
3. Activate the option to Show shortcuts on the desktop.

FAQ: Frequent questions about shortcuts on Xiaomi